Place without Courage
by EscapeKey01
Summary: He has been hearing the princesses voice talk to him in his dreams as he turned in the night, he wasn't even sure if it was even truly Zelda or just his own mind making it up...but he listened to the advice and it always paid off. He was Princess Zelda's appointed Knight and he had failed her. He would not fail her again. **Setting before Gannon and after, BOTW SPOILERS**
1. Chapter 1

**I DO NOT OWN ZELDA NOR DO I PRETEND TO.** Fuck I wish though, if I owned Zelda I wouldn't be writing stories and id be writing games...

Err hello everyone! I wanted to create a long detailed story and 'post game' of Zelda and Link and with mature content... but i gotta make you beg for it first! -wiggles eyebrows- Honestly I hope this chapter isn't boring... the next chapter will dwell more into the story will be better and longer i promise! Please please pleeeease review, i want to know your opinion so i can do better!

watch?v=E77jmtut1Zc - Sounds to set the tone for the beginning chapter if you choose.

 **Chapter one**

The flames danced toward the moon and a horse stomped at the ground and neighed in their stable nearby. Ominous animal calls and chirps traveled from the deeply wooded auburn forest around the stable. A young fair skinned man sat by the fire outside the horses stable turning at the logs with a stick. He had grey blue eyes with heavy bags under them from sleepless nights like this one. He tossed the stick into the fire and ran a hand over his sandy blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail with strands accenting his face, you would almost think he was a boy except his masculine broad shoulders and stubbled chin from the long journey to this point. He had tried to properly care for himself but it was hard when he was too far from home and he couldn't always afford a room and bed for the night, he tried to sleep on the hard packed ground earlier but he just couldn't stop his mind.

With crossed legs he leaned back on a hand behind him he took a deep breath and rubbed two fingers at his temple and closed his eyes thinking once more over the memories he was given due to his amnesia. 100 years ago he was Princess Zelda's appointed Knight, her Champion among others… before Ganondorf had taken over Hyrule Castle embedding the land with monsters from nightmares and killed the champions and her father- hell even he had died also trying to protect the princess. But Zelda had him put into the Shrine of Resurrection while she took on Ganondorf by herself as he laid in wait for those 100 years. He wasn't even sure if she was still alive...But Gannon sure was. He has been hearing the princesses voice talk to him in his dreams as he turned in the night, he wasn't even sure if it was even truly Zelda or just his own mind making it up...but he listened to the advice and it always paid off. Since then he has ran through every forest, climbed every mountain, glided through every valley, and swam through rivers going through trials to strengthen himself to take on what Zelda could not...should not have. He was ready. Monsters and Goblins he had trouble batting a stick at before, he now took on with ease with his master sword and finely toned muscle he had developed training day and night, preparing himself. He was Princess Zelda's appointed Knight and he had failed her.

He squared his jaw and set his eyes once more on the fire as he watched the flames lick the logs into ash and the sun breaking the sky.

 _He had failed her, but he would not fail her again._

He stood and strapped on his soldiers armour that he had strengthened with the mythical Great Fairies help and the dyed green tunic showing through where the armour didn't cover, with a white cloth over his chainmail with a red wingcrest symbol in the middle of his chest. He raised his forest green hylian hood over his head, a shame it was to have people recognize him, as if he had abandoned them 100 years ago. Most thought he was a descendant because Woodland Elves do not live that long, but those who did recognize him had never treated him that way, they were rather overjoyed which was even a greater pang of guilt to him. No, it was definitely no honorable thing to show his face these days.

He kicked the ashes over the smoldered wood that was left and walked to his horse in the stable. She bent her muscular neck down to greet him, almost pleading to come along and help him with whatever he had planned next. He rubbed the horses long snout with gentle care and rested his cheek against his horses cheek, breathing in the musk and sweat and a familiar comforting smell that only his horse could have.

 _'Not this time. From here on I travel alone friend.'_ He said in his head and eyes as he looked back up at her.

He was a 'man of few words' but yet his horse seemed to understand him like an open book. He did not want to see yet another dead friend, because his horse was his champion in his eyes. She has been a loyal steed taking on danger with gallant speed and no hesitation but still he had to take the journey alone now. The horse raised its head as if to unwillingly accept what he was thinking. Or maybe he was imagining things? You could never tell how much animals knew.

He then walked back to the fire and gathered his weapons and shield strapping them in the brown leather straps connecting over his chest and waist to place them all on his back where he found most comfortable to pull them out of their sheaths. Most Knights preferred the comfort of having their weapons placed on their sides but he had always placed them on his back. He shrugged to himself at the thought. It was silly to be thinking of such minuscule things such as weapon placement, maybe it was his nerves making his thoughts babble now that the comfort of the campfire and night stars was gone.

He waved at the stables registration desk as she turned around from shuffling papers at his footsteps. He thumbed toward his horse and said, "Take care of her until i get back?" The person grinned widely and nodded almost comically at the extra money he was going to have to spend to get his horse back. "Why yes sir! You take all the time you need, we will keep her with warm fresh hay and top notch treatment, and blah blah blah blah." Her voice droned off in his head to white noise as his sharply pointed eleven ear twitched in irritation and he tried to mask it to a mute expression.

 _People always talked too much._

He nodded politely and walked away toward the edge of the forest as the stable girl continued to try and ramble to him as if she couldn't take a hint.

He mentally silenced all excess noise and checked where the wind was blowing through the leaves, the earthy odor of dirt and living things and ashy smell of his camp, a stream gurgled on nearby but the birds did not chirp, the crickets did not sing, there was no animals to be seen or heard. Link drew his sword willing for the beast watching him to take its chances.

"I see you, but you still don't see me." A deep voice mocked with a chuckle. But there was no hint of direction from where the voice came from as it echoed in off the wooden trunks. He let his eyes dart in every shadow meanwhile placing the stables at his back as he knew it was already clear of danger.

 _There!_

The wind shifted in a different direction at the top of the trees and Link grunted, "hyiah!" and threw his sword in the air above him as a Rito flapped with panic scrambling to dodge as it sliced through a lonely cowlick feather on his head. Link grabbed the hilt of the sword as it came down with his right hand and sliced through the air to sheath it once more on his back as he crossed his arms at the annoyance of his morning being interrupted. With a heavy thump and white feathers the Rito fell on the ground on his back, the Rito blushed at the rare moment of weakness and brushed the dust off of him. His well trained muscles rippling as he put his feathers back in place where they belonged. He was tall, about twice the size of Link and his beak the size of his head. Covered in white feathers except tipped with grey on his wings, tail, and eyebrows pointed always what seemed to be an angry expression. His chest and shoulders was plated with metal armour which turned into hard leather at his abdomen, a delicately embroidered cloth hanged around his hips in a pale red, yellow and green.

"If you want to preen my feathers don't pull that stunt, or next time we ride together I drop you in the ocean!"

Link smiled devilishly and shrugged, ' _I could say the same about your greeting, Teba.'_ But Link opted for silence to let the Rito Warrior calm his anger of embarrassment and say what he traveled so far for.

"I know what your planning and I'm coming with you."

Without a seconds waste Link jammed two fingers in his feathered friends side which isn't saying much at the hard packed leather as Teba hissed and bellowed over in pain gasping for breath. Under his hood Link narrowed his eyes while holding his feathered friend upright and off the ground.

 _He will only slow me down with this injury, Teba knows this._

The Rito gathered his breath and pushed the hylian helping hands off.

"You've made your point clear, I just want to help you after what you have done for us and to be the father Tulin can look up to...but I can't do that dead, so just take these." Teba handed an arrangement of arrows and narrowed his eyes back at Link while holding his shoulders, "You may be a hell of a warrior yourself for a hylian but you are not in this alone and I don't want you to feel that way."

Links eyes widened at the blatant concern coming from Teba as he continued taking his hands off and taking a step back, "It's impressive, It only took you a few seconds to figure out my arrival and where I was. You have grown and you will be just fine."

A warmed smile spread across Link's face as his feathered friend widened his wingspan and took to the skies once more and suddenly he dropped pulling his bow and aiming straight at Link as the smile faded and eyes widened. With a low chuckle from the skies as an arrow nicked the edge of his hood and the breeze behind it blew the hood from off his head. Letting out a breath of air he didn't realize he was holding as he put a hand over his heart and after regaining his composure looked around him to find his friend gone.

With a chuckle he rubbed his face wearily and pulled his hood up and set his jaw once again setting his sights on Hyrule castle that barely shown through the dense forest which looked to be the size of himself at this distance. But still he could see the black and purple muck and mist forming a dragon-like creature hovering and wafting over which revealed only a glimpse of the castle grounds beneath.

 _Zelda, if your out there,realize you are not alone either and i'm coming to rescue you. Please hold on just a bit longer. I will not fail you this time!_

Metal armour clanking noisily he ran and jumped through the forest dodging trees and roots with their leaves whipping across his face while his focus was only on the path to Hyrule ahead of him. Senses ready to tell him when a monster was about to strike, he dared them try and challenge him.


	2. Chapter 2

**I DO NOT OWN ZELDA.** I'm not gonna lie, this chapter does get morbid but please don't get scared away because we do have a Zelda appearance! Whew, I worked hard on this guys! I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to let me know if you do!

 **Chapter Two**

Muscles in his arms burned in exhaustion and white knuckled hands sliced through the air as fast as he could willing them to go even faster. Toes scrunched painfully as he dug his metal boots deeper into the ground, trying to put his entire weight forward to compensate for the pressure of clanging his sword against thick steel. A red target appeared on the wingcrest in the middle of his chest as low groans of energy churned turning higher pitched inside as a warning its laser was about to fire.

 _This isn't working!_

He was indeed correct. He might as well have been slamming his forehead against a brick wall because his cuts were just about as pitiful. His slices were only minor scratches to the already ancient metal beast with its rounded body like a gumdrop candy twice his size and then making it even taller with the long silvery metal plated legs it stood on like a spider. It was covered in intricate almost beautiful swirls of ancient language with an ominous red hue where the black metal was plated together, it was no use to slash or stab at those because they were still well reinforced enough not to break and the fact that he already tried. If it was an older ancient beast like the ones he had come across so far he may have had a chance with this tactic but he would have to figure out something new and quickly. His eyes stung as the salty sweat rolled into them. His fingers slid down the hilt of his master sword from the moisture exuded through his calloused hands. The groan became sharper and high pitched like a dog whistle as he shifted his body weight to push off the ground strafing to the left to dodge in seconds but not in time.

In books they describe things in slow motion, and what they don't tell you is that it doesn't work that way in reality. Everything moves too fast to comprehend, and your mind is left trying to fill in the pieces. One millisecond he was dodging and then 'BOOM,' next millisecond a bright white light caught his right hip. His fingers grazed the hilt of his sword as it released from his hand from the sudden jolt and grass and gritty dirt filled his mouth as he was thrown across the open plains like a rag-doll.

First thing he noticed was that he couldn't see and then he noticed it felt really _really_ hot and his mind didn't know how to process it. He thought maybe his hands had pushed at something soft and comforting, but found it to be the ground as light came into his vision again. He was in fact face first on the ground pushing himself up once more. Heat clung to his right side as he looked down and saw that he was on _fire_ , he quickly patted it out in a panic finding that he did have arms, they had just gone numb due to the pain in his side. He couldn't really hear from the buzzing either as he looked behind him to find the beast over him once more with another laser pointed at his back. Pulling a fist full of grass with him as he got to his feet—stumbling and ignoring the pain in heated anger—he reached to the weapons on his back, specifically his sword and not finding it in its sheath.

 _Oh...well then._

Deflated and groaning inwardly as he saw it on the ground quite a few feet away on the plains in front of him, the grass withering and turning black at the big fiery circle around it from the blast. The buzzing started to leave his elvish pointed ears as he heard the high pitched warning, indicating another attack—the laser already centered on his chest.

Through muscle memory and not 'thought' memory he drew his shield to his chest to soften the blow just in time. The hylian shield slammed into him and he was thrown backward with a hard thud, hitting the ground taking all air completely out of his lungs and sliding until his head banged against something hard by his ear. He saw sky and he watched the clouds peacefully, flinching at the pain of breathing. His ears deaf this time, he wasn't sure if it was permanent and wasn't sure if he would have the chance to find out.

 _Why couldn't I have woken up as some kid sailing the ocean and not the knight with an oath to saving the lands? It's such a burden._

But even he knew it was not in his nature to run from his oaths, even if it seemed like an impossible one, he would die trying—or more accurately, die _again_ trying. He really did owe it to the princess for bringing him back, just to die again in some open field in the middle of fucking nowhere. He felt embarrassment flush his face, he didn't even make it anywhere notably close to the castle yet, and he was going to die before he even had a chance. Link really shouldn't have thrashed through the woods overconfident like he did and into this field, he just had felt so _invincible_ for once.

 _I didn't ask to be resurrected!_

He felt a new level of embarrassment with himself at blaming the princess, this was truly his own fault. She saved his life, and it was his time to save hers. The ground shook beneath him and mechanical whirs and clicks of rusty gears turning filled his ears confirming he was just momentarily deaf. He closed his eyes forcing himself to take a deep breath growling at the temporary peace being interrupted and a red glowing laser pointed for the third time at him, the shield still laying in the center of his chest. The low growl of energy turned into a high pitched noise once more.

" _ **Link get up!"**_

A familiar and almost melody of a voice aside of the sheer panic laced inside it filled his head? His surroundings? Was that the voice in his dreams?

 _I'm sorry princess._

Link's eyes snapped opened with another burning desire to at least go down fighting.

" _Fuck you!"_ He snarled at the beast. True slow motion happened as he pushed the shield up and into the air off his chest and kicked it, parrying the white blast that had landed on the shield and back _at_ the ancient guardian.

Chunks of metal exploded off the mechanical creature leaving a gaping hole in its side as it flailed backward trying to get its footing with its dome shaped head swiveling back and forth almost like it was glitching.

 _Holy shit! Did I kill it? How did I do that?_

Nauseating sickness settled in the pit of his stomach at the quick movement of rushing to his feet to crouch in the high grass watching the creature in anticipation. The creature once more stood after a few stumbles and set its sights on him. Link grabbed his shield.

"Doesn't feel nice, does it?" Link mocked grinning wide while circling the ancient guardian like a wolf and prey. The lasers seemed to be the only way this creature was programmed to attack, he would just have to figure out how to do that shield trick again.

Okay, the sights were set on him and the pitch growing higher as his heart rate escalated. Animal instincts told him to run this time but he fought them, standing his ground since he had no cover in the open land. Making sure his feet were positioned to not fall, he gripped his shield harder and as soon as he saw the bright light erupt from the core he pushed his shield forward. He closed his eyes in expectation of getting his ass handed to him again praying he had timed it right. When he opened his eyes again it was to watch creatures lights fade into nothingness as the blast had parried into its mainframe. With a sigh of relief Link dropped his shield and fell to his knees watching the grass burn around the empty shell of metal. The grass burned until it turned black and bare and it was then that he looked at his wounds.

He gingerly touched his throbbing head that felt matted with the blood dripping down his chin and onto his armoured shoulder plate, then he rubbed his right hip and leg trying to massage the pain away. It didn't work. Later he would take a closer look at his wounds. He pulled out his map that was rolled away in his arrow pouch on the backside of his belt.

Revising his plans, He was here….and he needed to be there by nightfall—referencing the marked dot of water and construction before the numerous winding paths laid directly in front of hyrule castle. There were two options. He could travel to the right and up the river and back into the middle to the area he marked, but that might take another day to reach and there wasn't anything for shelter. The trees were too spaced apart...or he could just continue traveling straight in the plains cutting it into a one day ordeal in his wounded condition. He didn't like it but his best option was to continue forward in the open.

Not wasting anymore daylight, he returned his shield to his back and stood bracing his right hip and limped over to his sword sheathing it once more and limped next to the belly of the metal that was left. He scavenged the parts that were not broken for some sort of future use that he wasn't sure of yet, if anything he could sell them to somebody.

Lots of steps. Long way to go. He felt like a drunk as black spots danced in front of his eyes, a part of him understood how close to fainting he was. One foot fetched to the other foot as he stumbled, almost fell, but somehow kept his balance.

 _If I fall, I die. I'll never get up._

He reached a hand up and matted more hair onto the head wound to try and stop the bleeding that was only oozing now. The hair was working, soaking the blood and assisting it to stay to form a clot. Link cinched his hands on his belt to concentrate and firmly tell himself that there would be absolutely nothing until he was in shelter. His stomach growled and gnawed. Once he had heard a rumor that a man had went twenty one days without eating in the dank, dark dungeons below the castle. The prisoner had been forgotten about due to him having the same name as another. He was left there to rot for another month after he died before the rancid smell was found. He knew from a coroner that first a body turns pale and cold after thirty minutes, livor mortis (Latin: livor meaning blueish color, mortis meaning death) happens causing a purple hue of blood to pool from gravity and lack of circulation to the ground of the body, rigor mortis (latin: rigor meaning stiff) was the next stage which happens as early as thirteen hours and to its peak at 60 hours, within five to six days the abdomen starts to swell due to gas build up, then ten to twenty days a black discoloration and blisters has taken to the body and the tissues have softened, within a month soft tissues had begun to liquefy off the bones trying to make the face unrecognizable. He has seen the first stages of decomposition due to the combat he has been in, but he could not imagine what the guards had seen after that lengthy amount of time. He pushed the morbid thoughts out if his mind.

 _I will not die today._

He could no longer see the ancient guardian he defeated behind him, he could see the shelter with another guardian pacing to the right of it but it was still a long way to go so it did not detect him, or at least felt that way in his condition. He continued the approach from the left side so it would not see him. Goddamn his feet hurt, his limping leg hurt. He was sure nothing was broken at this point with how far he had walked, but he still itched to take the heavy armour off for a closer look.

As he came closer, he saw a shadow peek from behind a tree and step into the sun setting around them. A twisted creature towered before him with leathery looking black skin, its body and legs thin but he did not miss the amount of muscle hidden there. Its chest and arms quite large with long claws at the end of them, its face was a rounded triangle shape with pointed ears and a long pig-like snout and yellow eyes. Link grabbed the hilt of his sword and drew it, making it an extension of his body. He's dealt with these creatures before and they were slow and brainless.

The creature leapt at him and he sliced at its arm, sinking the blade in but not through. The beast didn't even flinch as it continued grabbing Link by the heels and dragging him into the forest. While sliding on his back, Link dislodged his sword from the arm and held the creature by the neck with his hand and forearm as it snapped at his throat on top of him, drool sliding off its tongue and hot stinky breath onto Link's face. He slid his forearm that still held his sword slicing the beast's throat open. Closing his eyes as dark purple blood squirted on his face and chest he still held onto the beast as it continued after him like a pit bull until its life was drained and its heavy limp body lay on top of him. Link pushed the lifeless body off of him and wiped his face, he forced himself off the ground with a knee to stand and collapsed. He pushed up once more and stood his ground, limping further into the trees—keeping his sword out as he scouted the area.

After he cleared the area, he found a small pond of water and in the center stood a circular platform of concrete with the triforce engraved. What used to be tall pillars now lay in ruins, and the concrete was cracked falling apart. There were small concrete bridges on all four sides, some of which you could no longer call a bridge as it lay beneath the water. Even though the sacred grounds lay in ruins, it was quite beautiful with its antique scenery. He also noticed that the trees shrouded this area well, it wasn't a dense forest like he was in the other day but it would work as a camp for the night setting.

Link walked to the water to fill his canteen and saw his grotesque reflection. His hair went wild in every direction and his face was smeared with purple that also ran down his chest. His own blood also covered him and matted his hair and the side of his body. He filled his canteen and then dunked his head into the water using his hands to clean his hair. After he was done he took off his weapons and armour. Link undid his belt and pants to ease the waistband of his trousers slightly down. His leg, hip, and side were colorful with purple and black bruises.

 _I'm a mess._

He sighed and took his tan trousers completely off, along with his tunic and undergarments and walked into the water to wash the caked blood off himself. It wasn't as nice as an actual bath, but he still felt like less of a savage and more the royal knight he was supposed to be. It was soothing to feel clean with the vast night sky above him dotted with stars. Firefly's danced around his camp as he climbed out of the water and put his clothes back on. He gathered wood and his armour and weapons, placing them around the triforce in the center and as he sat down on the cold floor as he pulled a container out of his pocket. It was a paste that he dabbed onto his head and rubbed into his side as it tingled his skin with its medical properties.

Link swiftly started a fire and ate the jerky and dried fruit he had prepared the night before. In the morning, he would storm hyrule castle and show Gannon no mercy. For one hundred years he has killed innocent people, killed his friends, and placed these lands in calamity. But for now, link traced the engraved triforce with his fingers as his eyelids closed in exhaustion- he slept.

 _He was falling head first; no, he was floating? He opened his eyes to find himself underwater. He knew in the back of his head it was another dream, but it feels so real. Exotic classes of fish swam past him, and he eyed them with wonder. Some had purple lions fur, and others glowed neon colors that looked like it was made of glass, another kind almost seemed like a pink liquid themselves, but that made no sense...they all made no sense._

" _Link."_

' _Princess?,' but all that came out were bubbles. He didn't know what was up and what was down as he thrashed but a current seemed to draw him deeper into the abyss. He was now rolling in the current head over toe and the black murky water was filling his lungs and choking him._

 _Even though he was in the deep at the bottom, a slender hand rippled through like it was the surface. He reached for it, and it pulled him into a bright, endless white, where he and another stood. He shielded his eyes at the sudden contrast and his eyes adjusted to the woman in front of him._

" _You don't drown in the water by falling, you drown by staying there." she said with a warm smile._

 _He didn't know what to say, or even what it meant and so he opted for silence as he scrunched his eyebrows together studying her. She had soft, flawless skin with high cheekbones, long eyelashes, and bright green eyes that seemed to look through him. Her brunette hair was long and braided with a golden crown resting on the top of her head. She was covered with the gold elegant jewelry and a beautiful royal dress._

 _He noticed they were still holding hands, and he cleared his throat and pulled it away._

" _I apologize for interrupting your dreams again."_

" _It's my pleasure, Princess," he replied with his voice sounding foreign to him._

 _She turned and walked away, and so he trotted after her before loosening his pace to walk beside her into the white nothingness leading nowhere. He wanted to ask her so many things, like how does she do this in his dreams? How did she talk to him when he was awake fighting that guardian? Was he ever going to get all of his memories back? Was she still alive? He opened his mouth to speak, and then she stopped walking._

" _Gannon has been weakened by the divine beasts aiding you, tomorrow is the time to strike." She gripped his shoulders looking at him firmly, "You are ready for this."_

 _His face felt heated with shame as he looked away; she's noticed my worry and doubts... She released his shoulders, "Don't worry, you can be afraid and still be courageous. Fear does not make you weak, it makes you smart," He shook his head and squared his jaw to stare at her smile. A black liquid rolled down her forehead and he reached for her as she was turning into the murky substance before his eyes._

" _Zelda!," His hands tried to catch the oily liquid slipping through his fingers, trying to put her back together._

" _Link_ _it's okay... While he is alive we are connected through the triforce..."_


End file.
